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(11) | EP 0 056 012 A3 |
(12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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(54) | Herbicide applicator system |
(57) A metering tube (50) injects liquid herbicide into the central flow passage (48)
of a fluid permeable rope (14). The liquid herbicide flows along the length of the
rope and is emitted from the inside of the rope to its outside surface. The metering
tube (50) is supplied from an accumulator tank (62) in which a volume of the liquid
herbicide is pressured by compressed air. The liquid herbicide (64) in the accumulator
tank (62) is maintained at a selected pressure by a charge of compressed air delivered
from a storage tank (20) through a pressure regulator valve (80) to the accumulator
tank. The metering tube (50) is lodged within the central flow passage (48) of the
rope applicator (14) and a ferrule fastener (54) compressively engages the rope section
surrounding the metering tube (50), thereby defining an annular seal which allows
the flow of liquid herbicide through the metering tube (50) while preventing the flow
of liquid herbicide by wicking action through the end of the rope. This arrangement
provides close control of the flow rate of liquid herbicide into the rope applicator
(14), and is not dependent upon the variables associated with wicking flow. |